The Toontrack EZ Drummer is a multi-microphone drum sampler designed for musicians and producers in need of a compact, affordable, easy to handle plug-in without compromising sound quality or control.
The visualized drums in the interface combine auditioning of sounds and drumkit construction. The extensive drag and drop midi-library (featuring 8000+ midifiles) enables users to create a great drumtrack in just a few clicks. For more advanced handling, users can control microphone bleeding and levels between drums using the internal mixer.
EZ Drummer Features
- 7000 sound files at 16-bit / 44.1kHz equivalent to 5Gb of uncompressed wav files.
- Instant access to more than 8000 midi drum patterns with prelistening, quick browsing and drag’n’drop functionality.
- Same extensive layer depth on all drums and cymbals as in EZ Drummers big brother - dfh SUPERIOR.
- dfh EZD ranges from entry level usability to pro handling
- Features multiple microphone control
- TPC II reduces system requirements to a minimum
- Operates in General MIDI
- Internal mixer allows stereo and multitrack routing into the host through one single plug in
- Preset mix modes for quick sound changes
- Interface visualizes the drums loaded and combines auditioning and kit construction
- Drums recorded at Avatar Studios, New York by worldclass drummers and producers
- The humanizer function combines drum hit randomizing and non-cycling
- Velocity sweep allows instant changes to Midi data, extending groove context relevance.
- Possibilities for the user to add their own midi files to the library.
The mixer also allows stereo and multitrack routing into the host through one single plug-in, and thanks to the second generation Toontrack Percussive Compression (TPC), system requirements are kept to a minimum.
The drums for EZ Drummer were recorded, produced and played with the best in the business. From their pro SUPERIOR line Toontrack has adopted the humanizing features that are instrumental in making these drum samplers the pinnacle in digital drum production.
Recording Notes
In 2005 Toontrack Music was contacted by Pat Thrall with a request to record drums for the Superior Drummer software engine at the New York studio where Pat had his professional home at the time. We all knew Pats work (with Glenn Hughes, Black Crowes etc) and jumped at the opportunity to work with one of our heroes. Matters weren´t made worse by the fact that Pat introduced another long time hero of ours to add his talents, passion and experience to the recordings, Neil Dorfsman. Neil has been around since the 70s recording and producing artists like, Kiss (oh the stories…), Bruce Springsteen, Dire Straits, Sting etc. Enough said?
Pat also brought along renowned live and session drummer Nir Z whose credits include such diverse acts as Genesis and Joss Stone to play his GMS drums for the sessions.
The team was finalized with Mattias Eklund and Henrik Kjellberg from Toontrack Music and together they conducted a number of recordings during 2005. The sounds for EZ Drummer were recorded and produced at Avatar Studios New York (formerly known as Power Station) on the 1st of October 2005 by Pat Thrall, Neil Dorfsman and Nir Z. Needless to say the recordings ended up every bit as great (and better) as expected. The timeless quality of the sound, the consistency of the playing and recording and the legendary atmosphere from a studio that has seen many of the greats create their masterpieces within its walls all make for a worthy start of the next generation of Toontrack Acoustic Drumsamplers.